Rockets can clinch with win over Jazz in Game 6 tonight

Utah has not been a kind place to Houston

Published 5:30 am, Thursday, May 3, 2007

Juwan Howard and the Rockets have had plenty of stumbles in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Juwan Howard and the Rockets have had plenty of stumbles in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Photo: Smiley N. Pool, Chronicle

Rockets can clinch with win over Jazz in Game 6 tonight

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

The Rockets insist there is no Game 7, no fallback position, no night with the home-court advantage awaiting them should they need it.

The reality is that when they return to EnergySolutions Arena tonight to face the Utah Jazz, holding a 3-2 series lead and within one win of advancing to the second round for the first time since 1997, the marketing slogan is accurate.

It really is Win or Go Home.

But the Rockets want to treat it not literally — as a night they can win and end the series or go home and try again — but as the must-win circumstance the Win or Go Home playoff motto implies.

Game 6 brings the Rockets' last chance to win in Salt Lake City and their first chance to end the series, a combination that they said has them pointing only to tonight.

"We have to get a road trip win in this series. We have to," Rockets centerYao Ming said. "The last two games over there, we were blown out. The last three home games, they were really, really close. We have to have a very, very good road trip win in this series.

"Nobody wants a Game 7. The only team that might want a Game 7 is Dallas right now."

Actually, the Jazz might like a return trip to Houston. Yet even with the 3-2 lead, the Rockets face long odds in an arena where they have had so much trouble.

In the series, they have faced deficits of 17 and 25 points in the two games in EnergySolutions Arena. They have lost 20 of their past 22 games in Salt Lake City. In their history, the Jazz have won 57 of 75 playoff games on their home court. This season, they were 31-10 to share the third-best home record in the NBA.

"They play with a lot more energy and confidence at home," Rockets forward Shane Battier said. "To beat a great home team, you really have to be on top of your game and we have not been that thus far.

"When you go into a hostile arena, with 20,000 screaming at you, telling you you're awful, talking about your mom and your dad and your dog, there's something about that that detracts from your best effort. Only those who've been in those situations can understand."

The Rockets generally joked about the Jazz crowd and its impact.

"Sometimes English being my second language is good for me," Yao said.

"The only time I really hear things is when I'm sitting on the bench and there is a guy heckling me," Tracy McGrady said. " 'McGrady, you're 0-5, you're 0-5 in the playoffs. You're going to be 0-6 this year.'

"They can't come down on the court and play. I don't care what they say. They can talk about my mom. They can talk about whatever they want to talk about. I've still got a game to play.

"For the most part, just match their intensity and stay poised. Their building is pretty much one of the loudest buildings I've been in, especially at this time. I've never heard anything as loud because the fans, it seems like they are so on top of you, the way the arena is structured. Just keep our poise."

The Rockets spoke often about their composure and resilience. They were within six at halftime in Game 3 and five at halftime in Game 4 but did not respond when the Jazz made a second-half move.

"There is not a simple reason it changes," Yao said of the struggles on the road. "There are so many reasons together that in that arena the game changes. Fans. Noise. Maybe those words on the (signs). Whatever. We need to concentrate on the basketball court. We need to keep our mindset very quiet, very even. Whatever loudness is in the arena, we have to keep a place in our heart that's very, very quiet, very clear with what we need to do."

The list of things they need to do includes starting the game well. They also hit on the usual topics, defending, rebounding and taking care of the ball. McGrady spoke of needing to continue to drive the basketball.

But mostly, the Rockets spoke of approaching Game 6 as if there cannot be a Game 7.

"I think this is the toughest game of the series, the closing-out game," McGrady said. "It's a game I'm going to put all my heart and soul into, and I'm hoping my teammates do the same.

"It's definitely a winnable game for us. That's what we're concentrating on, trying to win Thursday, not even worrying about if there is a Game 7. We don't want there to be."